xpdf and missing fonts

chexmix · 04-25-2008, 12:00 PM

Good day, all -

For a number of reasons I have been doing more work with PDF files of late and have noticed I have a problem with xpdf on my Slackware install ... essentially, it doesn't seem to be rendering fonts correctly, or maybe I should say finding fonts correctly. In order to start troubleshooting, I tried firing it up from the cl on a particularly troublesome document and got this:

chexmix@catbutt:~$ xpdf RecyclingGuide.pdf
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-BoldItalic'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'
Error: Couldn't create a font for 'Times-Roman'

... the first time I've seen it complain about THAT font, but whatever.

I checked in the /etc directory and noticed there was an .xpdfrc.new file I hadn't accounted for, so I merged that in, but am still having this problem.

Anyone else seen anything like it? I checked for prior posts on this issue in the Slack forum and there were hits, but they were years old.

Thanks.

allend · 04-25-2008, 07:23 PM

I suggest that you edit your /etc/xpdfrc file and change the display fonts section to point to the location of your ghostscript fonts. I have:

Code:

displayFontT1 Times-Roman		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n021003l.pfb
displayFontT1 Times-Italic		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n021023l.pfb
displayFontT1 Times-Bold		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n021004l.pfb
displayFontT1 Times-BoldItalic		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n021024l.pfb
displayFontT1 Helvetica			/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n019003l.pfb
displayFontT1 Helvetica-Oblique		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n019023l.pfb
displayFontT1 Helvetica-Bold		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n019004l.pfb
displayFontT1 Helvetica-BoldOblique	/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n019024l.pfb
displayFontT1 Courier			/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n022003l.pfb
displayFontT1 Courier-Oblique		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n022023l.pfb
displayFontT1 Courier-Bold		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n022004l.pfb
displayFontT1 Courier-BoldOblique	/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/n022024l.pfb
displayFontT1 Symbol			/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/s050000l.pfb
displayFontT1 ZapfDingbats		/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/d050000l.pfb

allend · 04-26-2008, 12:13 AM

I have looked at this again, and realised that /usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/ is actually a symlink to /usr/share/libwmf/fonts/.

chexmix · 04-26-2008, 07:22 AM

Thanks so much - I will take a look at this. :^)

chexmix · 04-27-2008, 06:44 PM

Interesting, I not only don't have

/usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript/

I don't have

/usr/share/fonts/default/

either.

I guess I will go ahead and create that symlink, but it makes me wonder what I missed and how, and what else might be MIA.

Thanks.

allend · 04-27-2008, 08:29 PM

I suggest that you run 'locate n021003l.pfb' and see if the font file is on your disk.
These fonts are in the 'libwmf' package and the 'ghostscript-fonts' package. They may be installed in a different directory.

T3slider · 04-27-2008, 08:34 PM

chexmix, I don't have that either. It doesn't exist in a default Slackware 12.0 setup. It shouldn't affect anything as far as I know. Those fonts are in /usr/share/fonts/Type1 for me (or /usr/share/libwmf/fonts). Try those instead.

chexmix · 04-27-2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allend

I suggest that you run 'locate n021003l.pfb' and see if the font file is on your disk.
These fonts are in the 'libwmf' package and the 'ghostscript-fonts' package. They may be installed in a different directory.

I should have been more explicit / complete with my post: I found the fonts where you said the symlink pointed:

/usr/share/libwmf/fonts/

but I didn't have the symlink 'r the directory in which to create the symlink. I guess it will be a pretty easy fix. :^)

Thanks again.

chexmix · 08-02-2008, 10:00 AM

Very belated reply ... it WAS an easy fix ...